


Training

by MorganaMagics



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Tickling, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaMagics/pseuds/MorganaMagics
Summary: Rayla learns to hold a stick.
Relationships: Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	Training

Rayla stood before Runaan in the heart of the Moonshadow Forest. It was early in the day. The adoraburrs were still sleeping in their clusters in the tall grass and the owls still cooed from the tree branches. Rayla would normally still be tucked into bed at this hour, waking only when Ethari came to wake her for breakfast. She was tired but she tried to not let it show. She mimicked Runaan’s strong, tall stance with her hands behind her back and head held high.

“Are you ready, little elf?” Runaan asked a hint of amusement in his voice.

His charge bobbed her head. Today, was an important one for Rayla. Since she could talk, she has begged her surrogate fathers to show her how to wield a sword. Runaan had refused, claiming she was too small to even hold such a weapon. Though, there were some moments when Runaan would let her feel the weight of the blade. He always kept a firm hand on the weapon though, never truly letting Rayla hold it on her own. Ethari claimed it was because Runaan wanted to preserve her childhood, whatever that meant. All Rayla knew was that she wanted to be able to move and dance with the blades like the elf who had raised her.

Runaan pulled something from behind his back and Rayla tipped onto her toes. She fell back onto her heels in an instant, a disappointed scowl marking her face as Runaan presented her with two sticks instead of the weapon she had been waiting for. 

“Weapons are dangerous,” Runnan reminded. “Prove you can wield these sticks. Then, I will consider lending you a blade.”

A younger, less determined Rayla might have stormed off at that moment. She knew though by the glint in Runaan’s eye, that this was something a tantrum would not fix for her. He was serious about this and so was Rayla.

Rayla took the twin sticks in hand, watching as Runaan sunk down to her level, sitting in the damp forest grass. He tapped her feet, silently instructing her to spread them apart. When her feet were in place, he tapped at her arms. His thumbs rubbed circles into her wrist until she unstiffened her joints. When he finally pulled his hands away, Rayla was in a perfect stance, one she had seen Runaan make before while training up-and-coming warriors. 

“Well done,” Runaan praised. He rose to his knees then, stretching out his arms and striking the same pose as Rayla. “Follow my lead.”

Runaan’s arms moved slowly, his weight shifting as his knees as he struck out with his right invisible sword. He brought his arm back then, moving the other down to shield his body. When the time came, Rayla knew that she would need to be much faster when making these same movements. Runaan could do it, striking with his sword and blocking a hit in the blink of an eye. 

Rayla stumbled as she tried to match the warrior beside her. Runaan’s hands slipped down to adjust her arms or legs every once in a while, impatience never marking his face as he looked down at her. Rayla couldn’t say the same for her own face. She wanted to get this right, to get to hold a sword in both hands and join the other Moonshadow elves in protecting her home. She wanted to be looked at and admired. Just like Runaan. 

“Stop for a moment,” Runaan instructed. 

He lowered his arms and Rayla followed. Once both their arms were down, Runaan launched at the younger elf, fingers tickling under her arms. A shriek of delight and shock left Rayla’s mouth. Her sticks fell to the dirt and she batted at Runaan, trying to wiggle her fingers under his thick clothes so that she could get him back. 

“You’re too tense,” Runaan told her between bubbles of laughter. “This ought to loosen you up.”

Runaan picked Rayla up and set her in his lap as he tickled her. Rayla shrieked again, withering away from the fingers that traveled up to her neck. She knew that if she didn’t want to be a blubbering mess she needed to act soon and turn the tide onto Runaan. She scanned him up and down, spotting and opening. She put all her strength into her arms, pushing Runaan onto his back. Rayla crawled on top of her surrogate father as he fell into the dirt, triumphantly sitting atop his chest. She dug her own fingers into his neck, earning a soft snort but not a full cackle. 

The sound of a snapping twig caught their attention, and they both looked up, finding Ethari watching them from behind a tree. He held up a small basket, one that smelled of fresh bread and other tasty treats. 

“Brought you two lunch,” he said as he set the basket down. “But I see I should help Warrior Rayla first.”

Ralya beamed on hearing the nickname, laughing as Ethari, joined them on the ground. He pinned Runnan with his weight, jabbing his husband in the ribs with the pads of his fingers. Runaan barked a laugh, withering under his husband’s hands. Rayla cheered and grabbed her sticks from the dirt. She struck a pose, the one Runaan had taught her, and placed the tip of one of the sticks under Runaan’s chin. 

“Surrender to Warrior Rayla,” she demanded.

Runaan struggled against Ethari in a final attempt to gain the upper hand. It was useless though. Ethari’s fingers only becoming more ruthless with each second Runaan did not respond to Rayla.

Choking through this laughter, Runaan held up his hands in defeat.

With a nod from Rayla, Ethari released Runaan, pressing a kiss to his husband’s flushed cheeks. As Runaan caught his breath, Ethari pushed himself onto his feet and walked to the abandoned basket of food. Rayla stuffed her sticks into her belt. She made a bee-line for Ethari, swords and training momentarily forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat with me about Dragon Prince on my tumblr! Link in bio <3


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